Hi there! You are currently browsing as a guest. Why not create an account? Then you get less ads, can thank creators, post feedback, keep a list of your favourites, and more!
Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 7th May 2015 at 5:46 AM
What kinds of things do you look for in a custom world?
While I'm in the slow process of rendering basic lots and streets and buildings for my Bramble Wood project, I thought I'd do a little more research on what other people look for in a custom world. Obviously, environment is always going to half the battle. What I'm looking for are elements to add into my list of inclusions so that my first serious attempt at creating a world will at least have all the essential functions as well as a few of not-so-necessary ones that add to atmosphere.

So tell me.. what do you look for in a world?

What kinds of background stories do you like to see?
Advertisement
Field Researcher
#2 Old 8th May 2015 at 10:32 AM
I've been looking for a new custom world for the past few days. I didn't find anything that really fit what I wanted, but I think I narrowed down some elements that either made me want to download the worlds I looked at or made me turn and run the other way:

1) Terrain paint and placement of trees/plants. It adds so much to the realism of the world, and can instantly make your world 'pop' and draw people in to viewing/downloading.
2) A good map. I don't just mean buildings, either; the blank spaces around and in between should be just as well-considered. I saw a world where the landscape outside the town was nothing but vast, flat space painted all the same, and I couldn't imagine spending any time there. Add in a rock formation, or a river, or a grove. Make me want to explore all the corners of the world.
3) Don't be afraid to make things look less pretty. I've seen too many worlds where everything looked too manicured. You don't have to make your whole world gritty and ugly, but I think variety adds to the realism and adds more gameplay options.

What I think is most important above anything else is to find a theme and stick with it. I don't necessarily mean the kind of theme that sounds like a Disney attraction, like Wild West Town or Future Land; just a theme that helps you decide how the world should look, what buildings it contains, who might live there. If you're not creating a fantasy world, it might be helpful to narrow down what part of the globe you're setting your world in and look at towns/cities in that area for inspiration. If you want a town in Germany, or South Africa, or Texas, look at what kinds of architecture/trees/landscapes you get in those places and take that into account. I've seen more than a few worlds that felt like someone was trying to cram in every last part of every expansion pack and ended up creating a generic world that mixes farming community, sunny beaches and bustling urban cities without really capturing the authenticity of any of them.

I know some people probably advise including everything to allow players more options - I even sort of recommended it above - but I think sometimes creators put everything in to the detriment of the world. I might have downloaded "Rolling Hills" if someone hadn't smacked a huge city in at the edge of the map, or tried out "Snowy Mountain Range" if they hadn't given it a palm tree-lined coast. Don't force it into your world if it doesn't belong there.

Just my two cents; best of luck with your world creation!
Test Subject
Original Poster
#3 Old 9th May 2015 at 3:33 PM
Landscaping is actually the one of the first things I thought about when deciding to do Bramble Wood. Since it will mirror a place I grew up, I had to make a list of which trees and environment elements needed to be included. Once I get better with terrain, I want to make a smaller second world using the same decor but paying more attention to a real world location that only locals know about despite the fact it was used by NASA for training the moonwalkers.

While landscaping is important, I've also decided that it will be the last piece of the world to go in. People who start with terrain first end up finding themselves with a lot least area for placing lots. So the world ends up feeling overwhelmed and limited by the terrain. Sunset Valley has that feel to it where too much thought was put into terrain and not enough put into building space. Therefore, with Bramble Wood, I'm going to build the town and neighborhoods first and then go back to sculpt the terrain, paint it, and add all the necessary plants and other landscaping details. That way, the town will have room to grow.

I agree with the map part. There have been many towns I've played in where there has been far too much wasted space that could have been better utilized. What few undeveloped spaces were left over were never big enough to support stuff that come with expansion packs, let alone space to build your own estate to rival or outdo the Landgraabs.

I've just been thinking about the different types of neighborhoods I'll need to include. While i thought about lower cless, I didn't necessarily think about the seediness that tends to come along with lower income parts of town. But you are correct. The rednecks and trailer trashers need space too. Heck, it might also be cool to include a small patch that had a fire or some other disaster.

Oh boy, I can't help but laugh at your stories about worlds that would have been great had the creators not added a bit of stupid into the mix. lol Common sense is something that is sorely lacking in society, no matter where you go. Though it seems especially prevalent in Americans. Which makes me embarrassed to live among them. It's quite the human circus. Yes, sticking to one's theme in a location is crucial for anything. If you don't, you lose your audience along with your respectability.
Test Subject
#4 Old 22nd Jun 2015 at 4:03 PM Last edited by Epic Dolphin : 22nd Jun 2015 at 4:04 PM. Reason: too many smilies oops
One thing that I look for is empty lots. I find that in the EA worlds, there are never enough empty lots for building my own and for my favourite store lots. Especially if you aren't going to require all the expansions for the world, leave enough empty lots so people can put in the lots from the non-included expansions
Mad Poster
#5 Old 14th Jul 2015 at 8:51 AM
Lots of empty lots, and base-game to Seasons compatible - with lots of spaces for things like the Plumbob Pictures Backlot and store venues of course.
Back to top